~The Age of Heroes~Rated T, for fantasy violence, blood, language and moderate romance (?)
Bear in mind, this RP takes place in a Pokemon-only world that has absolutely nothing to do with the games or the series.

"Arceus created our world, shaped it with his infinite arms. He filled the world with water, raised lands and mountain, he planted the flowers and the trees, so that he may rest in joy. But the world quickly grew lonely. He created the living to walk upon it, us. Pokemon. Seeing how weak and vulnerable the first of our kind were, he filled the world with the fury of the elements and gifted us with their powers, so that we may defend ourselves, from us. But the elements themselves turned against us, fiercely ravaging the world that our god had created. Sixteen Plates rose from each of the elements of the world, circling around him, allowing him control over the world he himself had created. Order came at last, and the world was at peace, but the elements required guarding. He chose a few of us and named them Paragons(AKA Legendaries), assigning them with the mission of guarding the ferocity of the world itself and ensuring its stability. He gifted them with wisdom and brilliance, and great power. But their enormous task, as well as the power they bore, oppressed them in such way that they developed into entities far more powerful than common Pokemon. As our numbers grew over the thousands of years, these Pokemon had retreated to their havens, their forms forgotten and spoken only in legends. Now that the world was under control and stability, thanks to the Paragons, Arceus could rest at ease. He, like the Paragons, retreated to his haven, marking the end of the era which came to be known as the Making.

In the first of societies, we lived in the wild, with our instincts as our guides. As the eras after the Making passed, Arceus stirred from his haven to lay his eyes on our world once again. He saw fit to give us a gift equal to that of life: civilization. Wonders were raised, high as the mountains, cities sprouted across the land and sea, and we ourselves progressed and evolved, gaining new powers, as well as knowledge, more power thus. The first of us built Arceus the Sanctum of the Original One, a place where they would show our faith in his divinity, pledge for his protection and beseech his blessing. Seeing that his work has a decent outcome, he saw fit to bestow a part of his own powers upon the world. We basked in that blessing for years, until corruption arrived. The cost of our evolution and newfound powers soon became clear. Our abilities broke the equality and balance that was well established – the superior could vastly overwhelm the inferior, now that they had acquired means of the great power lent by Arceus. Hierarchy was created then and the world came to be known as a single vast Realm that was ruled by one Pokemon, presumably the chosen one of Arceus; but that was a false claim they used to boost the faith of their followers - Arceus never consented to such. Tyranny overwhelmed civilization for years and the residents of this realm suffered from the constant wars for the ultimate monarch’s seat.

Until one day, when the living sighed in despair and the dead lay in the ground by the thousands, the Paragons woke. United, they would put an end to this – they came upon the decision that Arceus's power was too dangerous to be free upon their frail world. They were to seal Arceus’s power, away from the reach of the mortals, but Arceus himself would not approve. After a cataclysmic battle with the Paragons, the Original One was put to rest in the Sanctum, while eight of the Sixteen Plates were parted from the rest and scattered throughout the world by the followers of the Paragons, to ensure his rest was continued and undisturbed. Their efforts to stop Arceus had exhausted them, and so when they had regained their rightful seats in their havens, they slipped into a deep, dreamless slumber, content that the peace and freedom had been restored in the land. Arceus’s vast and overwhelming powers were drawn from the world… but remnants of it still persisted. It appeared in those who carried the Plates, the ones who were guided by the Paragons. Often amongst their descendants, a prodigy would be born, showing great prowess and an affinity for using one of the elements particularly well. They came to be revered as heroes and envoys of the Paragons themselves, destined to carry out the peace they had established by protecting the power of Arceus, keeping it sealed well within the Sanctum of the Original One.

The era that dawned after the seal was put on Arceus's power was named the Age of Heroes."

- The World

Major Cities

Spoiler:

1. Fenju - This country was the center of the brilliant civilization of the ancients, which was all wiped out when the power of the Plates was sealed away. The legacy of the ancients lives on in the form of ruins that were once the capital of the Fenju. At the peak of Mount Aegis, which the citadel is built around, the Sanctum of the Original One lies, far above the clouds. The waters that once flowed down the mountain were said to have rejuvenating powers. During the peak of the golden era of the ancients, before the Seal, they used their powers to craft enormous stone statues that were said to come alive when the citadel was in dire peril. The master stoneworkers who raised the colossal statues have passed the art of stonemasonry to their descendants, the people of Skyhaven. Despite the citadel’s glorious past, all that is left behind is ruins that are haunted by the remnants of the spirits of those lost in the Seal.

2. Cyala
The fortress city was built by the Trueborn, after they were separated from the Faithful of Fenju. It became the capital of the Realm when King Daeron conquered all of Altica with armies joined together under the power of the Dark Plate. After the Trueborn were cast aside from power by their King, they dug catacombs so that they could resume practicing their faith to Arceus beneath the city, where they built an edifice, Penumbra Spear. It is said that was the resting place of the Plate, before the latest King of the Realm, King Aion, found and seized it. The mountains around Cyala are rich in tristanite, a rare mineral that absorbs elemental powers that was used prevalently by the Fenju, before the Seal. The mines Cyala has established have extracted formidable amounts of tristanite that brought unimaginable riches to the city.

3. Skyhaven
Skyhaven is an ancient city founded during the early years after the Making, being a colony of direct descendants of the Fenju. For eons it was a wealthy city-state, up until King Daeron’s conquest when it yielded to his vast armies. It is known for its exquisite architecture, as well as being a center of the technological growth and art; its people are strong pursuers of peace, while they have vowed to keep records of the history of Altica in their huge libraries and universities. Before the Seal, the city was using the power of the Sky Plate to run an entire fleet of vessels that could sail the skies, which still remain docked within the city, the heirloom of the great era when Arceus’s power was free. The people of Skyhaven have inherited the Sky Plate from the Fenju; when its powers were rendered sealed, it was placed atop the mountain near the city, to be guarded by the Paragon of the Sky. Skyhaven has since been known as the seat of the legendary Rayquaza. 30 years ago, Skyhaven rose in rebellion against Cyala, but King Aion quelled it abruptly, smashing his armies in the city’s walls and sacking it savagely. Skyhaven has become both the greatest ally and enemy of Cyala throughout history, though it has mostly peaceful purposes.

4. Acanthus
Acanthus is home to vicious creatures, the dragons - it is an iron citadel built high above the clouds, at the peak of the tallest mountain of Montajo Range, isolated from the rest of the Realm. Although in words the dragonlords are pledged to Cyala’s rule, they have remained dangerously distant from the capital, having paid no taxes for centuries. As the mountains of Montajo Range are impassable and the weather conditions extremely harsh, not many have ever reached the citadel, and even less return to tell tales of it. Little is known about its development over the years.

5. Indrasil
The city of Indrasil is said to be impossible to find, as it is moving through the marshes, on a vessel made of wood that floats on the mud. Its troubled history has led the people of Altica to believe it is cursed. The city was once the capital of a Kingdom on the riverlands; a civil war for the King’s succession broke, followed by a great plague that consumed most of the population. The remnants of their civilization King Daeron destroyed and subdued during the Conquest, leaving the forests of Indrasil burnt away to ash. After the Seal, the barren lands were flooded, turning into treacherous marshes. Although the people of Indrasil are secretive and not trusting of their neighbors, they maintain a steady trade with the other cities, primarily selling berries with potent curing effects.

6. Port Ragho
Before the Daeron’s Conquest three hundred years ago, this town was a seafaring nation with a long tradition and history in piracy. Despite their reputation as rogues and thugs of the seas, the people of Ragho have a strong national pride that has lived on, after three centuries. Ragho’s harbor is home to proud shipwrights inherited from the era of the ancients. Its docks are a beautiful heirloom of the town’s past.

Locations

Spoiler:

A. Area 52
Area 52 is a shard of the once great civilization of the ancients – the surviving Pokemon that migrated there from Fenju after the Seal. Since then, they have been studying the ruins of the Fenju citadel. They are a small community where the jobs and responsibilities are shared by everyone; mostly, they are scientists and scholars who examine the mysteries of the Fenju in hopes of recreating them, they search for ancient artifacts they have left behind. They have pledged to guard them and the ruined citadel nearby, and keep history records so that the civilization of the Fenju does not fade to oblivion. The survivors of the Seal and their descendants have been reluctant to keep bonds with the outside world, as they are wary of their extinction. Built on a steep mountain area, the town is designed to repel any form of attack. As a step of security, the Elders, who rule Area 52, have established a powerful barrier around the town that will keep any wild Pokemon out.

B. Duskwood
The leaves of the massive, oversized trees offer a rich shadow - hence the name, Duskwood. Many battles have been fought here between Fenju and Cyala, and the forest had been considered disputed territory. After the Seal, the forest was seized by the Fenju survivors, where the Anonymous Brotherhood was formed, ever defiant to the Cyalan rule. The Brotherhood continues to defy the forces of the Kingdom up to this day, under the rule of Zeke the Ruthless. The forest has arguably become extremely dangerous due to the Brotherhood attacking any one, regardless of allegiance, who dare cross through it.

C. Tri-way Town
Built on a bridge that is built above three rivers, the town got its name after them; Cyala's galleys rest on its docks, an entire fleet of ships that sail through the rivers during times of war.

D. Vivardia Town
Well hidden from the enemies, Vivardia is your typical village in the forest. Its forest was once burned, but the trees have grown back up a lot faster than anticipated, hiding it completely from sight. It is said that Celebi's seat is on a rock in the nearby lake.

E. ShamarMainly Pokemon of the desert live in this small town. Shamar is partly underground, built next to an oasis that has recently gone dry. It is said to hold a powerful secret deep under the running sands.
F.Vela MonasteriesThe monasteries are not accessible to the passing travelers, as each is built high up on a spear-like mountain. There are four of them, but only two are operating; the other two are abandoned as there was a ghost outbreak during the Seal, resulting in them being cursed and haunted. The monks practice the faith of the Fenju. They believe in Arceus and maintain a tradition for complex and strange religious activities.
G. Coldarra
This town is so far north that it is isolated from the rest of Altica. In Coldarra, Pokemon are trained vigorously in the ways of sea combat, so that one day they might travel the seas or migrate to another town of Altica as sailors.

~~ History & Plot
“3000 years ago, the first of us chose a mountain, to build the Sanctum of the Original One upon. Arceus rested upon the summit, which was accessible only by the Faithful, leaders of the people, the ones among us who had proven their faith to Him. Those had earned the right to carry one of his Plates, to spread its power upon the followers. The perimeter of the mountain was soon filled with tents, and over the years, houses. The city of Fenju was built in the great green fields, with its majestic waterfalls, and stone structures and statues. As it bloomed, the months became years, the years decades, the decades centuries and the centuries millennia. The Fenju lived peacefully for eons, until 300 years ago, when corruption struck the Faithful, dividing the order in half in an event known as the Schism. Those who believed Fenju deserved better use of the power Arceus had lent them left for the north, styling themselves the ‘Trueborn’. They founded a city, Cyala, with their own temples and ways of showing their faith. Arceus himself sat idly by his sanctum, watching, letting his Plates be his voice in the world.

Cyala, being surrounded by mountains rich with minerals, grew to be a superpower of a city-state. The Trueborn raised a King and armies, to make other parts of Altica their own. Soon after their conquest of the Uplands and its cities, King Daeron the First cast the Trueborn aside from the council; pure faith was a poor counter to raw strength, you see. The time had come for King Daeron to wage war upon their true enemies on Fenju city, for the sake of the faith the Trueborn followed, and for being the first one to conquer the ancient citadel. Cyala and Fenju found themselves in a constant war, paused only by short truces, that lasted for two hundred years. The war grew treacherous, and both sides started abusing the powers of the Plates, resulting in massive disasters and calamities. 100 years ago, the Paragons rose from their havens to put an end to this abuse of power. After a cataclysmic battle with Arceus in the Sanctum of the Original One in Fenju, He was put to rest, along with the powers of His Plates, at the great cost of the city’s demise. Most of our people perished in the city, and the ones that were spared either fled to the nearby forest of Duskwood, or set camp in the mountains, where Area 52 was found not long after.

The event of the cataclysm became known as the Seal. Altica was slowly recovering from the devastating effects of the battle for the next fifty years. King Aion of Cyala arrived in Fenju with his armies, to find its plateau that had once been green plains burnt away, grey ashes flying in the air, and the ancient city broken, abandoned and empty, save for the vengeful ghosts that had died in the cataclysm and risen to haunt the place. The armies deemed the city not inhabitable, so they moved along, its greatness shrugged off as a thing of the past. The Sanctum lay there, forgotten by most, or else remembered as the temple of the Faithful heretics.

And now, King Aion has found the Dark Plate. How, or where, I do not know. But he has vowed to find the rest of the Plates and bring them together, even if it takes his armies to scourge Altica clean... and he wants to use the Plates for Arceus knows what. Perhaps to claim his power for himself. Meanwhile, here we lay, the remnants of the ancient, proud civilization, all bundled up in what we came to call Area 52. While we are sworn to guard the heirlooms of the Fenju, this twisted, mad King has begun a hunt for the Plates, and I reckon we must do the same..."

- You

You are a Hero. Your lineage traces back to the dazzling, technologically advanced civilization of the Fenju. In the years of the Seal, a whole century ago, your ancestors helped the Paragons in their quest to secure the Plates from Arceus, scatter eight of them and hide them across the world. As a result of staying close to the Plates, they gained a certain affinity over a single element (one of the sixteen Pokemon types), a trait their descendants inherited and lives on to this day – to be held by you! Now… if you will guard the Plates and keep Arceus’s power well sealed, like your ancestors did, or gather, unite them and unleash the power upon the world… that remains to be seen.

Right now, you have been summoned to Area 52 by Elder Durand, a Xatu of a repute of being a Hero himself. He is about gathering the Plates, not to use them, but to protect them from Cyala's mad King. He also wants to get inside the Sanctum of the Original One, as to find more regarding the ancient artifacts of the God, but oddly enough, he can’t do it without more heroes.

* The Heroes currently in Altica are merely counted in dozens. There aren’t many, true, but more than one may possess the same gift for one of the sixteen elements. That does not go for the team - each of you will choose a different mastery of a type.

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Spoiler:

Name: Heroes rarely have second names. Instead, they are known either by simple or complex titles, such as ‘the Clever’ or ‘the Dark Prodigy’)
Age: (14+)
Gender:
Species: (No legendaries or bastard legendaries, you know the drill)
Elemental Mastery: (Choose one of the sixteen elements, aka the sixteen Pokemon types, normal-type excluded)
Appearance:
Personality: (three paragraphs should do it.)
History: (three paragraphs again. From the place of birth, to how you ended up in Area 52)
Moves: [Max 6. Your character is able to use every move of their Type Mastery (whether learned by TM or by leveling up, or by egg move) without taking up a spot in the original six moves]Others:
RP Sample: (let me know how you write!)

1. All PC rules apply.2. No godmodding or bunnying, unless given permission.3. This is rated T, fantasy violence, blood, language, moderate romance, etc. Nothing more, nothing less.4. Keep it active. If you can't keep up, or if you are inactive for two weeks or more, you will be removed from the RP.5. Good grammar is required. It's a step towards a quality post.6. You may have your own mini adventures or events related to your character's background, but be sure not to stray too far from the main plot.7. NPCs are to be used only by me, but you can control random, not permanent ones, as to make your posts fit.8. Be cooperative, that's the key to having fun in a roleplay. In the IC, we two are mates, equals. Almost. You'll still do as I say. If I tell you to jump off a cliff, you will do it. :D